


Stay

by SunriseRose1023



Series: Broken Promises [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Heavy Angst, Infidelity, Past Infidelity, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Reconciliation, Separations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:14:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23036101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023
Summary: After reuniting with your children, a shocking revelation brings you and Tony closer together.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Reader
Series: Broken Promises [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1342672
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	Stay

Tony held your hand as he maneuvered the car into and out of traffic, keeping the speed at a reasonable eighty-five as he sped to the penthouse he’d been renting. You tried to stare out the window, but with everything flying by so fast, you’d resorted to closing your eyes. Your voice was soft when you spoke, Tony answering you just as softly. 

“What are we doing?”  
“What we have to in order to keep our family safe.”  
“How did they even find out where the girls are?”

Tony blew out a breath and you rolled your head on the seat, blinking your eyes open to see Tony’s face pulled tight, eyes flickering to each of the mirrors as he drove. 

“Who was on the phone?”  
“Lawyers. Someone leaked the divorce proceedings to the press.”

You blinked. 

“We’re not getting divorced. We were separated.”  
“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.”

You shook your head. 

“Who would do that?”  
“Who’s behind any of this? And why does this just so happen to get leaked right after my … whatever confronts you in the goddamn grocery store?”

You moved a hand to your mouth, giving his hand a squeeze. 

“Please slow down.”  
“We need to—“  
“Be alive to meet our daughters, please.”

Tony let off the gas, flicking the blinker on as he changed lanes. 

“I didn’t think anyone knew about the penthouse, but Jarvis called, said they’d been parked outside since last night.”

You pressed a hand to your forehead. 

“I don’t know what to do.”

Tony glanced over, giving a sigh. 

“Hey.”

You looked to him and he gave you a soft smile. 

“The windows in here are tinted to just this side of legal.”

You smiled at that and he went on. 

“There’s an elevator that goes straight up to the penthouse from the parking garage.”  
“They’re going to know this car is you.”  
“Yeah, but they won’t know you’re with me.”

You nodded, and he lifted your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles. 

“I’m going to keep you safe.”  
“I know you will.”

You lifted his hand that you were still holding tightly to your lips, kissing his knuckles.

“I’m scared, Tony.”  
“I know. Just … I just need to see the girls.”

You nodded, leaning back in your seat as Tony’s building came into view. He cursed under his breath when he saw the gathering of reporters and photographers, and he steered the car into the parking garage. Once the car was in park, the two of you jumped out and ran for the elevator, Tony wrapping you in his arms when the doors were shut and the elevator was moving. You closed your eyes and held him as tightly as you could, standing up on your tiptoes. You broke apart when the elevator hit the penthouse level, and when the doors opened, you let out a breath of relief. 

“Mommy!”

You knelt down, tears streaming down your face as you took your daughters into your arms. Bucky was leaning against the kitchen counter, a soft smile on his face. Tony gripped his shoulder as he walked by, then knelt beside you, wrapping his arms around you, and by proxy, around your daughters. Phoebe wiggled until she could look at your face. 

“Mommy, why are you crying?”

You sniffled, shaking your head. 

“I was just worried about you. It scared me when Wanda called.”  
“We were fine. Auntie Nat was pissed, though.”

Tony barked out a laugh and you elbowed him. 

“Don’t say ‘pissed,’ honey.”  
“That’s what Uncle Bucky said.”  
“Nice, squirt. Just throw me under the bus.”

You laughed, standing up and walking to him, going onto your tiptoes again to wrap your arms around his neck. You sniffled, speaking softly. 

“Thank you.”  
“Of course. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

You nodded, kissing his cheek before turning and seeing Tony sitting on the floor, Allie beside him and Phoebe in his lap. He was stroking Phoebe’s hair, a smile on his face as he listened to Allie babble about their morning. 

“You two okay now?”

You smiled, nodding at Bucky’s whispered question. 

“We’ve got a lot to … wade through, but … we’re good.”  
“Thank god. I was afraid I would drown in the sexual tension last night. Not to mention how the eye-fucking scarred my pristine little soul.”  
“If _you’ve_ got a pristine soul, then there’s no chance for the rest of us.”

Bucky laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulders. Allie stood up, walking over to you, and you laid a hand on your shoulder when she reached you. 

“Mommy?”  
“Yeah, babe.”  
“Are you just here because you were worried about us? And now we have to go home with you?”

You looked to Tony, who had his arms around your youngest daughter, but his eyes were on you. You started to say something, but he stopped you.

“Tell you what. Why don’t the little ones run upstairs and play while the grownups have a little chit-chat?”  
“You’re just saying that to get us out of your hair so you can fight.”  
“And say bad words, too.”

You snorted at Phoebe’s remark, giving Allie a smile. You laid a hand on her head and she looked up at you. 

“I promise we will talk later. But for right now, I need you to take your sister upstairs.”  
“Can we watch TV?”  
“Yes.”  
“Can I play on the iPad?”  
“No.”

Phoebe glared at Tony, who lifted an eyebrow at her. 

“There is the big game system thing up there that—“  
“Oh! Can I have a quarter?”

Bucky stuck his hand in his pocket, jingling the change he was carrying. Phoebe scrambled out of Tony’s lap to run and grin up at Bucky, batting her eyelashes until he emptied a handful of quarters into her waiting hands. Allie took her own handful and the girls hurried upstairs, already plotting their strategies.

Tony groaned as he got up off the floor, nodding to Bucky.

“Remind me to give you a ten for that roll of quarters.”  
“I’ll add it to your tab.”

Tony rolled his eyes, walking to you and kissing your temple. 

“Can I offer anybody a drink?”

* * *

You sat at the table in Tony’s study, staring at the papers that had been printed, listening, but not really hearing the words Tony, Jarvis, and Bucky were saying. They had a suspect, they thought, but no reason as to why. No motive. 

“What …”

They turned to look at you and you shook your head. 

“I don’t understand this.”

Tony walked over and sat beside you, scanning the papers and sighing. 

“Can I be completely honest?”  
“Please.”  
“Neither do I. It just doesn’t make sense. There’s this girl who clearly wants something, but we can’t figure out what. Money? Just ask for it.”

You shook your head. 

“No, this … this is deeper than money. This is someone who wants to destroy you, Tony. Not financially, not through the company.”

You met his eyes. 

“They want you to lose your family.”

Jarvis cleared his throat and you looked to him. After a moment, Tony took his eyes from you and looked to Jarvis, who nodded. 

“I believe this person is thinking that … if you did lose your family, it would only be a matter of time before the rest of your life began slipping.”

Bucky nodded. 

“If you spiraled, it would only be a matter of time before the board removed you from the company. Y/N would get half the money—“  
“And the company.”

Everyone looked to Jarvis, and Bucky slowly nodded as the realization hit him. 

“She’d get half of everything.”

You swallowed, speaking softly. 

“Because we didn’t sign a prenup. And I’d be vicious. Vindictive. Trying to take everything I could possibly get from him, and he’d hand it over because of the girls.”

Tears filled your eyes and Tony walked up behind you, wrapping his arms around you and resting his chin on your shoulder. 

“You could take it all. I’d give you anything you wanted.”

You gave a quiet sob, shaking your head and turning to put your face in Tony’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around you, holding you tightly against him, closing his eyes as you cried. You dug your fingers into his shoulders, lifting your tear-stained face to see a gentle smile on his, his hand coming up to brush the tears from your cheeks. 

You were taken back to so many other times that you’d been in the same position, held in his arms as he gently wiped your tears away. When his father had died. When you first read something the tabloids printed about you. When you couldn’t get pregnant. When you finally did, only to discover there wasn’t a heartbeat. 

You shook your head, moving your hands to hold his face. 

“Tony.”  
“Shh. It’s okay, babe.”  
“No, it’s not. You don’t deserve this.”  
“Shh, honey. Shh.”

He took you back into his arms, resting his head against yours as you cried into his shoulder again. He pressed his lips to your temple and your cheek, and you closed your eyes, moving to rest your cheek on his shoulder, your forehead in his neck. 

Bucky cleared his throat, shaking his head as he tapped a finger against the papers on the table. 

“The question is, who hates Tony this much to want to absolutely destroy him? Not to take the money or the company, but to hit him where it really hurts, where it truly would destroy him… his family.”

You tightened your hold on Tony’s waist and he kissed your forehead again. Jarvis nodded. 

“I’ll do some digging, see what I can discover.”

Bucky nodded. 

“Yeah, me too.”

You took in a breath, not wanting to move from your spot in Tony’s arms. 

“What do we do?”

Bucky and Jarvis exchanged a glance, then looked to Tony. He glanced down at you and you sniffled as you raised your head. 

“Do we … put forth a united front? Send whoever’s behind this a big middle finger? Or do … do we still pretend to be apart?”

Your heart gave a hard thump at that. You wanted Tony with you, in the home you’d built together, with the family you’d created together. You looked over to him, seeing that sad smile still on his face. You shook your head, turning to hug him, needing to be held by him. And like he’d always done, he wrapped his arms around you, stroking your hair and pressing you against him, where you could feel the steady thump of his heartbeat. 

“Maybe …”

You glanced towards Bucky and he slowly nodded. 

“Maybe we can make it seem like you’re still apart. Keep Jarvis in this place, maybe Tony can come here after work. And we’ll figure out a way to slip him out later on, where he can spend the night at the house? Or … Jesus.”

You sighed, moving to rest your forehead on Tony’s shoulder. Tony rubbed your back, glancing to Bucky. 

“Maybe we can sneak them here. Y/N and the girls.”

Bucky’s eyebrows raised. 

“We could.”

You turned to stand beside Tony and Bucky gave you a smile. 

“We’ll figure it out and make it work, Y/N. Try not to stress over this.”  
“Oh, yeah. Sure.”

Bucky laughed under his breath, walking over and kissing you on the forehead. 

“Tell the little monsters I said goodbye. Steve’ll need a playdate with them soon.”

You nodded, squeezing his shoulder, and Bucky left the room. Jarvis nodded to you, turning and exiting, as well. You sighed, turning back to Tony and speaking softly. 

“What do we do?”

Tony smiled, taking your hand, pulling you to his chest. You laid your head on his shoulder, the scruff on his chin tickling your forehead as you closed your eyes. 

“Just stay here like this.”

You smiled, shifting closer to him, smiling as he started swaying. 

“We need to go talk to the girls.”  
“We will. I just … you smell so good.”

You snorted, putting your nose in his neck before you whispered in his ear. 

“I smell like you.”

He turned his head, catching your lips in a kiss. You moved your hands to his shoulders as his hands moved to cup your face. He broke the kiss to look into your eyes, speaking softly. 

“I’m going to fix this.”  
“I know.”  
“I’m going to keep you safe.”

You nodded, moving one hand to lay against his cheek. 

“I know, Tony.”  
“You and those girls are everything to me. Everything, Y/N.”

You nodded, the words caught in your throat. You pushed a smile onto your face and Tony pulled you closer, until you could put your face in his shoulder. You gave a shaky laugh when he started swaying again, and you moved to rest your cheek against his. 

“How long’s it been since we danced in the kitchen?”  
“We’re in your office.”  
“Semantics.”

You shook your head, laughing when Tony spun you out, then pulled you back into his arms. You closed your eyes when you put your chin on his shoulder. 

“Are we just going to dance our problems away now?”  
“If I constantly think about everything, I’ll lose my goddamn mind. So … we dance.”

You nodded, a soft smile coming to your lips as Tony dipped you. You stared up at him, into his dark eyes and you nodded. 

“We dance.”

* * *

You sat in the living room of Tony’s penthouse, Phoebe in your lap. Allie was sitting on the couch across from you, leaning up against Tony, who had his arm around her. He smiled at you and you brushed Phoebe’s dark hair behind her ear as you sighed. 

“Okay. Family meeting time.”

Allie moved closer to Tony, who leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Phoebe seemed to shrink in your lap, trying to make herself smaller, and you wrapped your arms around her, giving her a hug. You met Allie’s eyes and you smiled. 

“So you know Mommy and Daddy have been … having some grown up problems.” 

The girls nodded and you met Tony’s eyes, then continued talking. 

“We both love you very much, and our problems have nothing to do with you. It’s not your fault, it’s not anything either of you did. Okay?”

Phoebe nodded, and you looked to Allie. She just stared at you, and Tony leaned over, whispering to her. After a moment, Allie nodded at you. You looked to Tony again, searching for the words. 

“Are you getting a divorce?”

Your eyes widened, mirroring Tony’s, and the two of you looked to Allie. 

“What?”  
“What’s a divorce?”

Phoebe leaned back in your lap, looking up at you. You shook your head and Allie spoke again. 

“It’s when a mommy and a daddy go to court and they’re not married anymore.”

Phoebe gasped. 

“Allie said Uncle Bucky told her you went to court already! That’s why he has to bring us from Mommy to Daddy.”

Tears filled her eyes and you shook your head.

“Everybody calm down.”

Phoebe’s lip quivered and you sighed, hugging her again. 

“We’re not getting a divorce. That’s not why we went to court.”  
“Why did you go to court?” 

You blinked as you tried to find the words, and Tony spoke up. 

“Because we were separated.”

Phoebe narrowed her little eyes, looking almost identical to her big sister. You jumped in then. 

“That means we took a break from …”  
“Being married?”  
“No, because we’re still married. We just took a break from …”

Tony met your eyes with a soft smile as he spoke. 

“Each other.”

You sighed, shaking your head. 

“I know this is confusing for you and hard to understand. Sometimes mommies and daddies fight. Sometimes they separate, and sometimes they do get divorced. But we aren’t doing that.”

You smiled at Allie, brushing a hand over Phoebe’s hair. 

“We had a long talk last night and today, and while everything is not like it used to be … we’re working on it.”  
“Can Daddy come home now?”

You looked to Tony with a soft smile on your lips, and he winked at you. He pulled Allie closer, speaking softly. 

“There’s something going on at work. Nothing you need to worry about. Another grown up issue that has nothing to do with you girls.”

You smiled sadly when Allie turned and threw her arms around Tony. He closed his eyes and you sighed, licking your lips before you spoke.

“Daddy has to keep a secret from the people he works with. And that secret is us. So we have to make it look like Mommy and Daddy are still separated. We have to send you girls to this apartment with Uncle Bucky, then have him bring you back to the house.”  
“But … you’re not fighting.”  
“I know, honey. That’s the secret.”

Phoebe shook her head, leaning back to look up at you again. 

“So we have to pretend?”

You nodded. 

“Exactly. We have to pretend that you’re coming here to see your daddy, but really, you see him all the time.”  
“Because he’s going to come back home with us?”

Allie looked up at Tony and he smiled as he tapped a finger to the end of her nose. 

“Yes.”

Phoebe scrambled from your lap to climb up into Tony’s, and you covered your smile with your hand. Tony closed his eyes as he hugged the girls, then opened his eyes and smiled at you. 

“So you girls are going to have to help us. You’ve got to pretend you’re still being schlepped from one place to the other. And the same rules apply, don’t talk to strangers, don’t talk to anybody trying to take your pictures.”  
“What about the lady we eat lunch with?”

You stopped, looking at Phoebe, tilting your head to one side. 

“What lady?”  
“The one from Daddy’s office.”

Your blood went cold as you looked wide eyes to Tony. He shook his head, taking hold of Phoebe and pushing her backwards a bit, where he could look her in the eyes. 

“Pheebs, who are you talking about?”

She rolled her dark eyes, fingers tracing the faded letters on Tony’s shirt. 

“The lady who comes to see us everyday at lunch. She said she’s Daddy’s friend and he sent her to see how we were doing.”

You sat back and put a shaking hand over your mouth. You watched the muscles in Tony’s throat work as he swallowed, as he tried to maintain composure. 

“What does she look like?”

Phoebe huffed out a breath. 

“She’s got yellow hair and dark eyes like me.”  
“What’s her name?”  
“Miss Sharon.”

Tony met your eyes and you stared at him, terror filling your veins. Tony swallowed again, loosening his hold on Phoebe’s arms. 

“What do you and Miss Sharon talk about?”

Phoebe shrugged, tracing the letters some more. 

“You. Allie. Sometimes Mommy. Miss Sharon said she’d come to my program for Mother’s Day.”

You gave a strangled noise you couldn’t hold back and Phoebe looked over her shoulder at you. 

“Mommy? Are you okay?”

You nodded, forcing yourself to smile. Tony leaned forward and kissed Phoebe’s forehead, then the top of Allie’s head, standing up and putting Phoebe beside Allie. 

“I’m going to talk to Mommy in the kitchen, and we’ll be back in a minute, okay?”  
“Can you bring me some juice?”

Tony smiled at Phoebe. 

“Yes. Be right back.”

He grabbed your hand and you hurried after him, following him into the kitchen and closing the door behind you. You couldn’t hold back the sobs anymore, shaking your head. Tony pulled you into his arms, and you could feel the way he was trembling. 

_“Tony.”  
_“Jarvis?”

You clutched him tighter, and he shook his head. 

“I got you.”  
“She’s touched my babies. Tony—“

He leaned back, taking your face in his hands. You shook your head and he nodded, pulling you back into his arms. Jarvis walked into the room and Tony pushed you behind him. You walked to the refrigerator, shaking hands pulling out a juice box. Tony spoke as evenly as he could, voice shaking the slightest bit. 

“You … you said you had a suspect. Someone from the company.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“What’s her name?”  
“I’m still running—“  
“Tell me her name, Jarvis.”  
“I’m afraid I can’t—“  
“I don’t give one single _fuck_ as to what your reasoning is. Give me her name.”

Jarvis shook his head and Tony ran for him, grabbing his shirt by the lapels. You dropped the juice box, running after him. 

“She’s been around my kids! _My kids_ , Jarvis! Tell me her goddamn name!”  
“Tony, stop!”

You tugged his hands away, standing between him and the butler. You shook your head, meeting Jarvis’ eyes. 

“Please. Jarvis, we … we just found out she’s been talking to our daughter. Tell us who you’re looking into.”

Jarvis held your gaze for a moment, then spoke softly. 

“Sharon Carter.”

Your hands fell from Tony as he turned away from you. 

“Son of a bitch.”

Your body began to feel heavy, like your legs couldn’t hold it up. Your blood was roaring in your ears like waves crashing into the beach, and black spots were dancing before your eyes. 

“Shit. Baby? Babe. Hey. Talk to me. Y/N? Damn it. Damn it. Look at me. Hey.”

You blinked, glancing around, looking up into Tony’s worried eyes. You blinked again and he gave a breath of relief, pulling you closer. 

“I got you. Jesus, don’t do that again.”  
“What…”  
“You fainted, ma’am.”

You glanced to the new voice, seeing Jarvis standing over you. You realized you were on the floor, your head in Tony’s lap. You let out a slow breath, closing your eyes. Tony’s fingers carded through your hair and he shook his head. 

“Don’t do that again.”

You smiled, giving a nod. 

“Yes, sir.”

He helped you sit up as Jarvis left the room, and you moved to his side, your back against the cabinets beside him. 

“What are we going to do?”

Tony sighed and you leaned your head on his shoulder. He shook his head. 

“I don’t … shit. All I can think is getting the three of you on a plane and getting the fuck away from here.”

You closed your eyes, lacing your fingers through his. 

“She crossed a line, Tony.”  
“I know. Confronting you was bad enough, but my—“

He shook his head, lifting a hand to rub at the center of his chest. You reached over, laying your hand over his heart. He covered your hand with his own, leaning his head onto yours. 

“I’m going to fix this.”  
“I know.”  
“They’re not going to school.”  
“Tony.”  
“I’m serious. We can get Wanda or Steve to come teach them. I’m not letting her near them again.”

You sighed as you sat up, shifting to face him. 

“We can’t just lock them up, Tony.”  
“Why not?”

You shook your head. 

“The princesses in the tower? It’s a tired old cliche.”  
“Yeah, and when did the bad stuff happen? When the princesses left the tower. You’re not really helping your case here, Mama.”

You smiled, but sighed. Tony reached over and took your hand and you stared at your hands and let out a breath. 

“We need to talk to Allie.”

Tony furrowed his eyebrows and you reached to smooth the line between them. 

“Phoebe kept saying ‘us.’ ‘The lady who comes to see us.’ And Allie never said a word.”

Tony nodded, exhaling. 

“We need to talk to Allie.”

The two of you got to your feet and Tony pulled you in, kissing your lips. You moved your hands to his face, holding him, until he broke the kiss. You blinked your eyes open, finding his staring back at you. You rubbed your thumb along his bottom lip as you smiled. 

“Don’t forget baby girl’s juice box.”

Tony snorted, but turned for the refrigerator.

* * *

Later that night, after Phoebe had been tucked into bed and the room thoroughly checked for monsters, you and Tony walked into Allie’s room. She was sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. You let out a breath, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“We need to talk.”

Allie nodded, keeping her eyes cast down onto the comforter on her bed. Tony pulled the door almost shut, leaving it open just a crack so Phoebe could be heard if she needed anything. He walked over and groaned as he got to his knees, reaching out and tugging Allie’s ankle. 

“Hey.”

She didn’t lift her head, and you reached out, laying a hand on her knee. 

“Honey, you’re not in trouble. We just want to talk.”  
“About Miss Sharon?”

You swallowed and nodded. Allie lifted her eyes to you, letting you see the tears there as she shook her head. 

“I didn’t know who she was. She said she was Daddy’s friend, and I know Daddy has a lot of friends.”

You nodded, and she went on.

“She was really nice at first. She gave me a strawberry cupcake with strawberry icing.”  
“Your favorite.”

Allie nodded to you and you felt Tony grab your ankle, digging his fingers in. You nodded, trying to play it cool as Allie continued. 

“She came back a couple of days, and then one day … I don’t know. She just acted weird.”  
“What do you mean?”

Allie shook her head. 

“She was … what’s that word you say Phoebe does to me?”

You smiled. 

“When she agitates you?”  
“Yes! Miss Sharon seemed agitated. She wouldn’t let me talk when she said something. Then she kept asking me all these questions about you and Daddy, and I told her if she didn’t leave me alone I would tell.”

You met Tony’s eyes, and he had a hand covering his mouth as he stared at Allie. She shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes again, and you spoke softly.

“Did you tell?”

Allie shook her head. 

“I got up to find my teacher, but when I looked to my table, she was gone. I didn’t know she’d go find Phoebe. I should have told her—“  
“No, no, baby. Oh, sweet girl. No, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

You moved to wrap Allie in your arms and she leaned into your chest, shaking her head. 

“She never would have gone to Phoebe if I hadn’t been such a brat.”  
“You weren’t being a brat, honey. You … why did you tell her you would tell?”

She shook her head. 

“I don’t know. It … it didn’t feel good.”  
“What didn’t?”  
“My tummy, when I was talking to her.”

You closed your eyes, resting your head atop hers. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, my love.”

Tony cleared his throat, smiling as he looked to Allie. 

“I want you to think really hard and tell me everything you and Miss Sharon talked about.”

Allie nodded. 

“We talked about you a lot. And Mommy, about what she did when we were at school.”

Allie shook her head. 

“I don’t think she likes Mommy very much.”

Tony swallowed. 

“What makes you say that?”  
“‘Cause she rolled her eyes a lot when we talked about her. And she’d do this.”

Allie scoffed and you closed your eyes. Allie shook her head. 

“I didn’t like it when she did that.”

Tony nodded. 

“Yeah, that’s not very nice.”

Tony looked up and met your eyes and he gave a quiet sigh. He reached out and Allie laid her hand in his. 

“You’re not in trouble. You didn’t do anything wrong. But you’re not going to go to school for a while. We’re going to get Aunt Wanda to come and teach you and Phoebe.”  
“For how long?”  
“I don’t know, honey.”  
“What about my friends?”

You gave Tony a soft smile and he shook his head. You gave Allie’s back a gentle pat. 

“It’s not forever, honey. Just … while we try to figure some things out.”  
“Is Miss Sharon bad?”

You and Tony shared a look and he shook his head. 

“I don’t know, Al. That’s something we have to find out.”

Allie nodded and you kissed the top of her head. 

“Come on. It’s time for you to get some rest.”

Tony helped you climb off the bed, and you pulled back the covers, letting Allie slide in between them and you covered her up. She stared up at you and you smiled, brushing your fingers through your hair. 

“I love you, Allison Maria.”  
“I love you too, Mommy.”  
“Get some sleep.”

Allie nodded and you leaned over, kissing her forehead. You walked to the door as Tony leaned down, whispering to Allie before he joined you at the door. He turned her nightlight on and you turned the light off, smiling as you pulled the door almost shut behind you. Tony wrapped an arm around you, leaning over to whisper to you. 

“I don’t want to rub it in, but she loves me three thousand.”

You snorted. 

“Oh, really?”  
“Yep. You were in the low six- to nine-hundreds.”  
“You’re full of shit.”

You pushed his torso and he groaned as he held a hand to his side, the two of you laughing softly as you walked into his bedroom. You looked around at the sparse decorations, the wide bed with rumpled sheets. 

“Had any women in here?”  
“Uh, just two. They claim to have nightmares and I just can’t seem to tell them ‘no.’”

You smiled, closing your eyes and shaking your head. 

“Babe?”  
“Can … can you just hold me for a minute?”

Tony dropped whatever he was doing, walking right to you and wrapping you in his arms. You gave a shaky breath, putting your face in his shoulder and pressing your hands against his back. 

“I’ve got you, Y/N.”

You shook your head, lifting it and setting your chin on Tony’s shoulder. 

“I just … I can’t stop thinking about her being around my babies and … and Allie, keeping this secret from us. How—“

You sucked in a breath and ducked your head again and Tony tightened his arms around you. You shook your head, putting your forehead against his chin. 

“My babies have been hurting, and I’ve been so wrapped up in my own shit I haven’t even seen it.”  
“Honey, this is not your fault.”

You shook your head and Tony gently pinched your side. 

“I’m serious. She probably made them promise to keep it a secret or something. She manipulated them—“  
“And I didn’t even see it.”

Tony sighed, moving to sit on the bed, pulling you with him. He laid back and you curled up into his side, resting your hand against his chest. He lifted a hand to cover yours and you shook your head. 

“I’ve missed you.”  
“I missed you too, babe.”  
“I like the penthouse.”  
“You can have it. I hate this place.”

You giggled, sliding your leg over his waist. 

“It’s nice. Probably a bitch to keep clean, but—“  
“You weren’t here.”

You went quiet and he shrugged as he turned his head to look at you. 

“You weren’t here, the girls weren’t here, and I hated it. Every second I had to spend in this place was an eternity without you.”

You rolled the rest of your body until you were straddling him, staring down. Tony’s dark eyes went impossibly darker and you bent to lay your lips against his. His hands tangled in your hair and you turned your head, glancing towards the door. 

“We’re going to need to lock the door.”  
“How about a shower?”

You giggled when his beard tickled your throat. You nodded. 

“A shower would work.”

* * *

You turned onto your side in the middle of the night, making Tony grumble when he had to move to keep his arm around you. You felt a tickle in the back of your neck, and you opened your eyes to see Phoebe standing in front of you. You managed not to scream or jolt, propping yourself up on your elbow. 

“Hey, baby.”  
“I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?”

You smiled and nodded, laying back down, scooting back against Tony’s chest. 

“Don’t wake your daddy.”

Phoebe nodded emphatically, crawling into the bed beside you. You looped an arm around her and in seconds, she was sound asleep. You felt yourself start to drift, smiling when you felt Tony’s lips against your cheek.

* * *

“Daddy.”

Tony slid just a bit closer to you, letting out a breath. 

“Psst. Daddy.”

He opened an eye, slowly extricating himself from you, rolling to his back. Allie was standing beside the bed, an anxious look on her face. 

“You okay, princess?”

She shook her head. 

“I had a bad dream and I heard a noise out my window.”

Tony nodded. They were at the top floor of the building, so he was certain nothing was trying to get into her room. 

“You want to bunk in here?”

Allie nodded and Tony rolled to his side, his back pressed against yours. 

“Don’t wake your mom.”

Allie nodded again, climbing in the bed, sliding up against Tony’s chest. He looped an arm around her, pulling her close, kissing her cheek. Her breathing evened out almost instantly and he closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. 

“Pushover.”

Tony gave an almost silent snort. 

“Big talker over there.”

You gave a quiet laugh, moving your feet to his legs. He tangled his feet with yours and you gave a sleepy yawn. Tony sighed, a smile coming to his face when he heard your whispered _“I love you,”_ the last thing he heard before he fell back to sleep. 


End file.
